NEW YORK—One act was subtle yet poignant, a playful but deliberate cupping of the ear to let the rival crowd know that it had been heard. Turns out Alex Ovechkin kind of digs that eight-minute chant.

Some thousand miles south, around the same time Monday night, there came a different sort of gesture, one that left a bloody trail and all kinds of harsh repercussions. Seems Amare Stoudemire found a crummy way to unleash his frustration.

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Here were two savvy, always-fun-to-watch veterans trying to claw their way out of funks, Ovechkin on the ice and Stoudemire on the court. Here were the playoffs, a fine opportunity to prove there was still some kick in those tired legs. Could Ovechkin jump from what had become a semiregular spot on the bench and revert to a lethal sniper for the Washington Capitals? Would Stoudemire ignore his screeching back and revive the New York Knicks?

Oh yes and oh my.

There will be plenty of moments to marvel at Ovechkin’s predicament because the Capitals’ second-round series against the favored New York Rangers shows every sign of stretching to seven games, with a few overtimes thrown in for fun.

But the Knicks, such an interesting, compelling tale throughout the winter, are done. Whatever mystery remained—Might New York steal at least one game from the Miami Heat, and is it worth it for Jeremy Lin to rush back?—was shattered the moment Stoudemire punched the glass on a fire extinguisher case following the Knicks’ Game 2 loss, and needed an undetermined number of stitches to close the wound on his left, non-shooting hand.

“Glasshole” shrieked Tuesday’s back page of the New York Daily News. “Bloody Idiot!” rumbled the New York Post. Around here, stupidity never inspires subtlety.

Wisely sensing they were now chum amongst circling piranhas, the Knicks canceled Tuesday’s practice. They trail 0-2 in the first round series, with Game 3 here Thursday. Though his arm was in a sling, Stoudemire managed to tweet: "I am so mad at myself right now. I want to apologize to the fans and my team, not proud of my actions, headed home for a new start."

Stoudemire deserves to be castigated for the tantrum, just as former Yankee pitchers Kevin Brown and A.J, Burnett were when they turned their rage onto inanimate objects. But those who think Stoudemire is the worst person in the world should be reminded that he's gone through a hellish season. There was the bulging disc in his back that the team originally feared would sideline him through the spring, and above all there was the death of his brother Hazell in a February car accident. It’s impossible to dissect the anger Stoudemire is still experiencing, the grief that never ends.

Add to that mix the usual operatic spins of the Knicks that brought about the firing of coach Mike D’Antoni, and the braying over whether Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony could coexist, and the only thing consistent about this season is its wackiness.

And so it was that shortly after he put up 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Monday’s 104-94 loss, Stoudemire punched the glass pane outside the visitor’s locker room at AmericanAirlines Arena. Paramedics were summoned and by the time reporters entered, all that remained were splashes of blood.

Not that LeBron James and the Heat hadn’t already proven this is a mere warmup on their Redemption Tour, but with Stoudemire in the lineup, at least there was the risk of something cracking. For a quarter, at least. Now he’s presumably gone, and the energetic rookie Iman Shumpert is out with a wrecked knee, and the Knicks are riding a 12-game playoff losing streak that dates back to 2001 and, oh yeah, Anthony and Stoudemire just lost their sixth straight playoff game together.

The Heat-Knicks rivalry has never been this painfully lopsided.

Stoudemire is 29, three years older than Ovechkin, who at times seems as old as dirt. Whenever Stoudemire returns, however he returns, it’s comforting to know athletes can reinvent themselves. We saw it happen at Madison Square Garden, at almost the exact time Stoudemire lost his fight with the glass.

In years past, Ovechkin was an omnipresent threat who rarely left the ice. But with Washington coach Dale Hunter's game plan devised heavily around defense, Ovechkin’s numbers tumbled, his shift count diminished, and for the first time in forever he did not lead the NHL in shots on goal. In the Capitals’ 3-1 loss to the Rangers Saturday, he had just one shot, and could generally be found at the end of the bench, gritting his teeth as the Garden crowd in each period counted down to the eight-minute mark.

When it struck, there came loud cries of “Ovi sucks,” and surely the captain who wears No. 8 knew he was targeted because his Caps had eliminated the Rangers in two of the last three years—and also because piranhas sense weakness. In Monday’s first period, he clocked 3:33 of ice time, a radical switch for a fallen star who never before played less than 15 minutes in a playoff game.

That chant still hung in the air when Ovechkin scored the deciding goal on a power play with 7:27 left in the third period, giving the Capitals a 3-2 victory and tying the series at a game apiece.

Despite his dwindling role, Ovechkin hasn’t pouted like some hotshots might. Mostly he’s been an oversized cheerleader, a decoy. But he still has a sniper’s sense, and after unleashing a hard wrist shot that stunned the crowd, Ovechkin’s celebration took him curling along the boards, where he cupped his left hand to his ear and grinned maniacally.

Mere minutes later, news broke from Miami about Stoudemire’s knockout blow. Two gestures from two superstar athletes trying to turn around their fortunes. Chances are, only one plays on through May.